By Nicole Gregory, contributing writer
On Jan. 13, The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Cal State Fullerton will present a preview of the many noncredit spring classes for older adults. These include classes on personal finance, great classical composers, line dancing, the history of Broadway, drawing, the Supreme Court and U.S. Constitution, history of rock and roll, poetry — even one about the gorillas at the San Diego Zoo — among others.
“We have about 110 classes that we put on each year on average,” said Ellie Monroe, who is vice president of programs and an instructor.
The OLLI program was started at Cal State Fullerton 45 years ago to serve Orange County’s older population. According to the Orange County Office on Aging, about 14% of OC residents are 65 and older, and this number is predicted to grow steadily.
Bernard Osher, a successful businessman and native of Maine with a passion for lifelong learning and the arts, founded OLLI as a nonprofit, self-supporting organization. Through his generous support, the OLLI program at Cal State Fullerton has a $2 million endowment; programs also exist at about 125 other universities throughout the U.S.
Open to adults who are retired or semiretired, Cal State Fullerton’s OLLI program requires purchasing a $275 yearlong membership. No previous college education is necessary. Membership allows people to take as many classes as they wish, though some may require extra fees if, for instance, travel expenses are involved.
“We currently have approximately 1,100 members,” Monroe said.
Within this robust program, a subcategory of classes called Transition in Retirement is also available. These are designed specifically for members who are thinking about retiring or have already retired and need to make some adjustments for this transitional time of their lives.
“Transition in Retirement covers subjects that a new retiree would want to know about,” Monroe said, including income tax planning, how to optimize your retirement budget, cleaning out the clutter and more. “We usually have someone from the psychology department who gives a lecture on retirement and what that means psychologically and what people might be mindful about. It’s been very successful,” she said.
OLLI members can also audit any of about 10,000 Cal State Fullerton classes, without paying additional tuition. “We just need to get permission from the instructor in order for a person to be able to sit in their classes,” Monroe said, adding that no homework is necessary. Access to videos of recorded past classes is also available, and campuswide parking is included in the membership fee.
OLLI classes are available year-round, with summer, fall, and spring programs.
The Jan. 13 spring preview event will give prospective members a glimpse of the OLLI program, Monroe said. “Different classes will be presented in different rooms for people who say, ‘I want to know all about what kind of art classes you have,’ or ‘I want to know what kind of language classes you have.’ They’re all going to be bundled in different rooms so that people can wander in and learn about the classes.”
OLLI members defy stereotypes of slowing down with age.
“We have a 90-plus club,” Monroe said of about 40 people who are 90 years or older. “If they’ve been a member for at least five years, they get free membership. We recognize that these people are still very, very active. We have a 102-year-old who is extremely active. She plays a big bass drum in a band, and she loves it. She’s also into ceramics and painting.”
Members can also sign up for trips that are part of the OLLI program. These include day trips to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Griffith Observatory and Old Town San Diego. Other options are one-day special event trips including a harbor cruise, a Pacific Symphony performance and a group trip to see a Hollywood Bowl show.
An upcoming overnight trip is planned to Joshua Tree National Park, led by a geologist who will take the group to various geological sites in the area.
Longer, more adventurous trips are also offered. “This coming year we have an Alaskan trip planned,” Monroe said, “and they’re looking at going to the Galapagos Islands.” Past trips have taken members to China, Egypt, and Italy.
Along with the many offerings in the spring program is a unique trip to New York City, scheduled for March. Cal State Fullerton musical theater BFA students will be performing in a club called 54 Below, and that department has invited OLLI members to accompany the students and enjoy the performance as well as a week in New York.
For more information on OLLI, visit olli.fullerton.edu or call 657-278-2446
January event highlights new classes for older adults
